


You've got mail

by spae



Series: Dangerous Hobby [9]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Characters Reading Fanfiction, Characters Writing Fanfiction, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-06-23 14:30:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15608322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spae/pseuds/spae
Summary: Fan-favourite TSM4 is asked to give an interview.





	1. The request

It was the Friday afternoon when Tony got the email.

It was unusual, to say the least, because it was from the _Deep Six_ website and he’d set up his account not to receive communications.

He opened it anyway, wondering how this email had bypassed his preferences.

 

_Dear TSM4,_

_We’re going to run a series of interviews with some of our more prolific fanfic authors over the next couple of months._

_You don’t currently engage on the forums, so might not be aware that we’ve been planning this for some time and have been requesting some questions from our users. (Visit[https://DeepSix.gemcity.com/forums/topic/DeepAuthorQuestions/](https://) for a comprehensive list of the questions.) Our standard rules are at the top of that thread, with our disclaimer, and the Q&A can be either via IM or email, whichever is easier._

_We're trying to organise a schedule of interested participants, seeing when people have the time (and if they have the inclination!) so please consider this as the author of some of our favourite fics! We’d be grateful if you could let us know asap if you are interested in participating, as we’d like to publish our first author interview within the next couple of weeks._

_Looking forward to hearing from you either way, (say yes!)_

_DocPimms_  
_for the Admin Team_

 

Tony allowed his eyebrows to climb down from his forehead, and pulled a face at the screen, considering the request.

He clicked the link. There were currently four pages of comments, with evidently a few people who wanted to know all sorts of things. He laughed quietly to himself as he saw some of them … like many of the comments he got on fics, there was a great deal of disguised begging for continuations of fics he was done with.

Some though – _some_ actually wondered about things in his stories which he’d set up to be mysteries, and he was pleased to see their questions. Lots of people wanted to know more about himself, and Tony was a little more wary of those particular queries.

It wouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility to do it, though. He had some time. He wasn’t in the middle of any long fics and, apart from the Doc and his dodgy prescription scam, he wasn’t being kept busy at work.

Tony saved the contents of four pages of questions to his USB and sent a short reply.

 

_Hey DocPimms_

_Thanks for the ask – doesn’t clash with my busy schedule so you’re on! I’ll email you my responses in a couple of days._

_TSM4_

 

Tony signed out and headed back to his office, wondering belatedly if he'd made the right choice.


	2. The response

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony answers as honestly as he can.

Tony decided that evening that he’d answer one question per person. It was a good way to limit it, and if there were duplicate questions, well – it gave him a way of avoiding questions he didn’t want to answer. He settled down with a nice blank Word document and wrote an introduction and from there, the Q&A just _flowed_.

 

Hey there, you Sexy Sixers!

I’d like to say thank you for choosing to interview me; I have to say a  
heartfelt thanks for not subjecting me to a Tibbs-style interrogation – you are all much more friendly!

I haven’t been able to get to know many of you in the forums, as my time online is limited, but it has been nice to see some names I recognise planting questions in the forum thread – thank you all for reading my stories and your interest.

I am going to do my best to reward your curiosity and answer a question from everyone!

TSM4

 

**@DoctorDeep: “A/S/L?”  
@Tibblets: “How do you identify?”**

I picked your questions to start us off, @DoctorDeep and @Tibblets, because I have to say – personal, much? If I was prone to blushes, I’d ask you to spare them, but hey, I’m usually the most curious cat in the room and I’d rather not be a hypocrite. To answer your questions, then:

>30 / Male / Not currently on US soil, though I hope to be again soon.    
I guess I’ve identified for much of my life as hetero, but there’s a little gay mixed in as I’m sure you all noticed!

**@SuttonCSI: “Which branch of law enforcement do you hail from?”**

Back atcha, CSI! Yeah, I was a cop once upon a time. Hopefully that experience translates into better murder mysteries for y’all to solve. What gave me away? And what branch are YOU in?

**@SentinelTommy: “What sort of things do you like to read?”**

Fic, or books?

I’m not really a book kinda guy. My mom always had a library, and I always liked listening to stories, but I never got into reading as a kid, and as I grew up I guess I was always more social, or working! I kept my mom’s library though – for when I’m ready to embrace change!

You can rec me some good Sentinel!Tommy fic if you like – I’ve never read that, although I liked the tv show. With fic, I like a good long story with plenty of angst and catharsis, personal growth and everything being alright in the end. If it’s got enough of the first 3, I’ll even read an unhappy ending – have you tried MissyTibbs’ Harry Potter crossover, with Tibbs as a Veela, _Carnage_? I _CRIED!!!_ Had to invent a dead aunt just to get by at work! Yeah, I know. I’m a sensitive soul.

**@MrsJalmer21: “What made you start writing?”  
@MamaSutton ”What drew you in to writing fanfiction for Deep Six?”**

Loneliness. And boredom. It solved one of them!!  
And why Deep Six in particular? I guess I just identified with the characters and wanted better outcomes for them. My brain kind of hijacked me and forced me into it, is the truth.

**@DeepSixteen: “What is your opinion of the original book?”  
@Top_Lisa: “Is there anything in the original canon which you wish hadn’t happened?”**

Haha. I’m afraid I only read it after reading a TON of fanfic, so my understanding of what canon is and isn’t is … specious, to say the least! I just remember being bowled over by the blatant flirting between Tibbs and Tommy. I can’t really remember much else. Sorry.

I guess it’s not so much the events, but the lack of details about the protagonists. I get that the case is the point, but they were so sketchy, in both senses, that I was a bit disappointed. Of course, that’s the sort of thing that drives us to write fanfic, so … not really a minus.

**@McAmy: “Where do you get your ideas for case fics?”**

Well, as I’m of a certain age, I’ve been around to see more cop shows and buddy movies than most people have had hot dinners. I start with the characters first – see where I want them to go, and write something to help them on that journey. I often borrow ideas from other things if they work – there’s only seven basic plots anyway, so they say.

**@McGregorForever: “You seem to have a really strong sense of who Tibbs is – where does that come from?”**

Um. This is an essay question lol. I’ll give you the Cliff’s notes version.

I guess I just know the type, y’know – strong, silent, and private but with real depth. I suppose I drew on my own experiences with guys like that, who you’d do anything for because they’ve just got a _nobility_ , I guess. We all want that in our lives, don’t we? For things to matter, and for shit to be real – well guys like that are the real deal; they make you want to be better people, and it hurt to see him being left behind drinking, I guess, as all the gadgets and technology stuff solved crimes. I kind of needed him to get some respect, so I wrote him that way.

**@MisterMystery: “Love the way you wrote Tibbs’ recovery from his drinking problem in _Too thirsty, too furious_. LOL. Why did you choose to address that issue?”**

I was pretty proud of that. Glad the humour worked for you. My dad had an issue with drinking; I had a brief flirtation with it in my teens and I’ve known it destroy a lot of good men in law enforcement and Tibbs was way down that path. I guess I just wanted Tibbs to have something to live for – as I said above, Tibbs in my eyes is one of those guys who makes you want to be a better person; I wanted him to find someone to be a better man for too.

**@Tibbsluvr: “Why don’t you write anything except Tibbs/Tommy?”**

You ever tried writing something you don’t like? Or can’t imagine? That’s a real short road to badfic right there! I could write it for you, but you’d hate me! With Tibbs and Tommy I just feel it – the interactions speak to me and I can almost feel the headslaps, y’know? It just feels right.

**@Tabbyismyjam: “What is your favourite thing you’ve written?”**

Ahhh, now you’re asking me which one of my children is my favourite! In all honesty, I like different things for different reasons. I think my best crime-solving fic is the _Caught-Out_ series – I’m pretty proud of those. And obviously I like filler fics – _How Tibbs met Tommy_ is a classic! And _Hijinks and Headslaps_ is pretty amusing, for me as a writer, anyway! The _relationship_ I like the most is in my _Dances with Wolves_ fic, with Tommy as the clueless Lieutenant and Tibbs taking the Stands with a Fist role. I love that movie, so the whole insertion of Tibbs and Tommy with their issues into that whole trauma-recovery, helping each other to see the world anew schtick … now _that_ is my jam!

**@LoveLisaLongtime: “So, TSM4. What does it mean?”**

Well that was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I notice most of you all have Deep Six monikers, and that’s cool, but I’d never read the book. I just went with my hero, Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV, ftw! Yeah, I know that helps y’all pinpoint my age.

**@SixFathoms: “Why a Ferrari?”**

Why _not_ a Ferrari, Six? Back off, girl. If it’s good enough for Thomas Magnum, it’s good enough for the rest of the world.

**@TimmyPibbs: “What’re you working on right now?”**

I’m just polishing up a bit of an angst-fest at the moment. I think it’ll be ready Monday, maybe. This fic does not have a happy ending, folks! I guess I just wanted to exorcise a bit of my own drama – but you never know, Tommy and Tibbs might overcome the author and demand a sequel! Haha.

**@ThomErocks: “What’re the weird numbers in your pirate sequels about? You haven’t written in that verse for ages.”**

True. I think that ’verse is done, really. The numbers in the sequel titles are an inside joke. Well, a private joke. I’m gonna plead the fifth!

**@BiAmy: “Will you ever write threesomes or moresomes and who would you include?”**

I might have done, if you’d caught me 15 years ago, dude! DeepSix might have had another meaning entirely then. Now, I guess I’m just old and grumpy and selfish – Tibbs and Tommy are off limits, in my fics!

**@GothChix: “What squicks you?”**

Um. Well, I want to say a lot of stuff. But actually, I’m a lot more liberal than I used to be. I think what really turns me off in fic is clumsy handling of the truth. Y’know, when one character fails to be honest because of their own preconception of the other character’s possible response. Drives me mad – I can’t bear poorly-written misunderstandings (and I mean that in fic, tv and film). It’s just lazy writing to create conflict that a little bit of common sense would negate immediately. If your characters haven’t got common sense, why are we supposed to care about them? Grrr.

Anyway. Infidelity is a no-no. And changing pairings without warning for it … _hell_ no.

Oh, and scat. Dude, that shit’s _disgusting_. ;)

**@LongJohnTibbs: “Tell us your five top films or TV programs.”**

We could be here arguing all day – I have a media degree, so have pretty much had to critique all my faves, and _five_ is not nearly enough for my top picks.

Off the top of my head though, you can have: The Fugitive, Unforgiven, Secondhand Lions, Midnight Run and Luhrman’s Romeo and Juliet. And for TV you can have this mixture for a mad bull: The Magnificent Seven, Spielberg’s Taken, Chuck, the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice and the first seasons of the X-files.

Go on, psychoanalyse me!

**@deepsixsixsix: “Tell us about your ideal date. Where/when/what?”**

Honestly, I’d be happy with a barbeque on a beach, wearing shorts, if it was with the right person. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love dressing up flash and going the whole nine yards in Armani and fancy restaurants, but I’m starting to think that eating beans out of a tin on the side of a mountain with the one you love is better than any amount of limos and luxury with the wrong one.

**@TibbsandTribulations: “Your Stargate Atlantis crossover was pretty epic. Are you ever gonna write more in that verse?”**  
**@thetroublewithtommy: “Will you ever write a timestamp for your crossover with Supernatural?”**  
**@lisamcgregor69: “More mafia!Tibbs. Please?”**  
**@oneshotljtibbs_: “Your A.I drabble, with sexrobot!Tommy and addicted Tibbs was hilarious. Could we get a longer story?**  
**@agentamysutton “What about pirate!Tibbs? We never found out how he became a pirate!”**  
**@lisasrightpinkie: “Are you ever going to continue your Greek gods fic?”**

Nah. LOL. Some of these stories work as well as they do because they’re as short as they are. I think a good fic should leave you both wanting more and at the same time, pretty happy with what you got.

I know you all liked these fics, and that’s great, but for me they were just fun places to stop on the journey – I don’t wanna live there! Anyone else can have a bite of these cherries though – please feel free to write in those ’verses if they speak to you.

 **@NinjaGirl: “Is this your only fandom?"  
** **@GemcitysG1rl: "What other fandoms are you part of?”**

Deep Six is my only foray into fanfiction. I wasn’t really aware of it until I came to this site.

If I was to go to other sites, I guess you could just look at my crossovers to see which ones I’d be interested in.

 **@deeplymadlypimmy:** **“What question did you want to answer which wasn’t asked?”**

You’re a wily one, aren’t you!

I think it’d be about my favourite ice-cream flavour – and Winnie the Pooh ice cream is _Teh Best Evar!_

 

Well, it’s been a blast, you guys.

Thanks for all your thoughtful questions – I hope I answered them well enough that you won’t all hate me for not immediately writing more fic in your chosen ‘verse! Haha!

See you on the other side, Sixers.

TSM4

 

Tony saved the interview to his USB. He'd upload it tomorrow when he'd checked it once more. He put his laptop away, turned off the light and fell asleep.


End file.
